Crazy

Boy is it cold out! It's weather like this that I don't miss driving a truck for work. The worst part was the mornings. It was bad enough getting up early in the morning and getting into a cold car only to get to work and start over again getting into a cold truck. Brrrr. Nope. Don't miss that at all!

I've been grumbling about what I've been paying for kerosene. Today I picked some up and paid $3.99 a gallon. My sister in Batavia only pays $2.91 a gallon. I thought I was really getting ripped off until I stopped at Home Depot to pick up a few items. Just for the heck of it, I looked to see what they were charging - I almost fell over when I saw that they wanted over $42 for a five gallon container! And that was their 'New Low Price". Yikes!!! Don't get me wrong - I love my Home Depot, but *that* is crazy.

I love that you can really tell that the days are getting longer now. When I get out of work now, it's still very light out. I feel so much more like doing things when I get home now. After my last post, I am really getting the itch to start up my garden again :)

And after my frustration of not being able to find particular pictures I was looking for, I took some time over the past couple of days to organize my picture files. I was sad to see that I did not take very many pictures in 2008 in comparison to previous years. I need to start taking pictures again. I still wasn't able to find the pictures I wanted, but I did find a lot I had forgotten about. I have to say that looking at pictures on my computer just isn't the same as flipping through a photo album. I miss my Mittsy.

G

I like lists - I always have. They help me keep things neat and organized and I like things to be neat and organized. Even if a list isn't about getting things done, I'm still attracted to them. Like this one I got from Busy Bee Suz - which is part of an alphabet meme.

Here's how it works:

Leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter. Write about ten things you love that begin with said letter. Post the list on your blog. When people comment on your list, you assign a letter, and the game continues.

I will only assign a letter if you request it, so don't hesitate to comment...

I was given the letter G and here is my list:

1. Garden

I really enjoy my garden from spring right up until the frost kills everything. I love eating stuff fresh from the garden - especially tomatoes. Mmmm! I also plant corn, cucumbers, green beans, strawberries, lettuce, sweet peas, green peppers and rutabagas. But the rutabagas are for my Mom - she likes them a lot. I've also done potatoes, pumpkins, watermelon and raspberries. I haven't had much luck with the raspberries, so I'm giving up on those this year.

I spent all morning looking for mid-summer pictures of my garden, but I couldn't find them. I guess I need to be more organized :(


2. Grandma

She died when I was in high school, but I loved her a lot and still miss her. She was someone I could count on to love me no matter what.


3. Ghosts and the paranormal

Ghost Hunters, ghost stories, ghost movies - I love them all! I do believe they exist.




4. Green

My favorite color. There is a shade to match my every mood.


5. Geocaching

I love hiking. I love scavenger hunts. Geocaching is the perfect marriage of the two. Looking for caches has taken me to places I never knew existed - some of them practically in my own backyard! I've seen beautiful vistas and met some pretty cool people through Geocaching. Plus it's really great exercise. I have a travelbug that made it all the way to Denmark. I just wish I could read Danish so that I knew what the logs that are being posted about it say :)



6. GPS

The tool most important to Geocaching. I recently got a new one, but haven't had the chance yet to give it a thorough tryout. There are some people that Geocache without a GPS, but I think it's more fun with one.





7. George

That's George as in "Where's George?" I love to register and mark all my $1 bills with www.wheresgeorge.com and track them wherever they may go. It's fun to get the email that lets me know that someone has one of my bills and see where it is at the time. I have one dollar bill that went all the way to Italy! I think I've only found five or six bills marked by someone else - they are as much to find as they are to send out :)

8. Granola bars

They are what start out my mornings!





9. Great Lakes

I love having two of the five Great Lakes - Erie and Ontario - practically in my backyard. I love visiting Niagara Falls which connects the two. The Great Lakes contain about one-fifth of the world's fresh water, which is reassuring to me given the state of the world. When I was little, my uncle used to have a boat and would take my family out on Lake Erie for rides. I'm not much of a beach person, but I love walking along the waterfront - especially early in the morning or when the sun is going down.


10. Global Warming

I don't believe in global warming. But looking at the single digit temperatures we've been subjected to all week, I wish there *was* global warming!

99 Things

I've seen this in several places and it looks like fun - so here we go :)

The items that are bold are ones I've done...

1. Started your own blog.

2. Slept under the stars.

3. Played in a band.

4. Visited Hawaii.

5. Watched a meteor shower.

6. Given more than you can afford to charity.

7. Been to Disneyland/world.

8. Climbed a mountain.

9. Held a praying mantis.

10. Sang a solo.

11. Bungee jumped.

12. Visited Paris.

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.

15. Adopted a child.

16. Had food poisoning.

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.

18. Grown your own vegetables.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.

20. Slept on an overnight train.

21. Had a pillow fight.

22. Hitch hiked.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.

24. Built a snow fort.

25. Held a lamb.

26. Gone skinny dipping.

27. Run a Marathon.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.

29. Seen a total eclipse.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.

31. Hit a home run.

32. Been on a cruise.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.

35. Seen an Amish community.

36. Taught yourself a new language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.

39. Gone rock climbing.*
*indoor

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.

41. Sung karaoke.

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.

44. Visited Africa.

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.

46. Been transported in an ambulance.

47. Had your portrait painted.

48. Gone deep sea fishing.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.

52. Kissed in the rain.

53. Played in the mud.

54. Gone to a drive-in theater.

55. Been in a movie.

56. Visited the Great Wall of China.

57. Started a business.

58. Taken a martial arts class.

59. Visited Russia.

60. Served at a soup kitchen.

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.

62. Gone whale watching.

63. Gotten flowers for no reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.

65. Gone sky diving.

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.

67. Bounced a check.

68. Flown in a helicopter.

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.

71. Eaten Caviar.

72. Pieced a quilt.

73. Stood in Times Square.

74. Toured the Everglades.

75. Been fired from a job.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.

77. Broken a bone.

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.

80. Published a book.

81. Visited the Vatican.

82. Bought a brand new car.

83. Walked in Jerusalem.

84. Had your picture in the newspaper.

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House.

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.

88. Had chickenpox.

89. Saved someone’s life.

90. Sat on a jury.

91. Met someone famous.

92. Joined a book club.

93. Lost a loved one.

94. Had a baby.

95. Seen the Alamo in person.

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.

97. Been involved in a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone.

99. Been stung by a bee.

47 out of 99 - Wow! I feel like a pretty well-rounded person :)

There are a lot of things on the list that I've always wanted to do and I will. Someday. Conversely, I see a bunch that I have no desire whatsoever to accomplish!

Sticker Shock

I couldn't believe it when I discovered yesterday that it would cost me over ***$400*** if I wanted to buy 34 gallons of antifreeze. Obviously I haven't purchased anti-freeze in a while. When did it become so crazy expensive? ¡Ay, caramba!

Ouch

Last week my Uncle came over to help me with a house project (have I ever mentioned that I have the best Uncle in the world?). As I was working, stuff was getting in my eyes. My Uncle said that I should probably be wearing safety goggles. I agreed.

Fast forward a week. Yesterday to be exact. I was continuing work on the same project. Not wearing any safety goggles. Raise your hand if you know what happened.

Yeah. I got something in my eye and I couldn't get it out. I was in agony all day. Eyewashes didn't help. Visine didn't help. I couldn't even see anything in there that I could try and pick out. I don't know how doctors remove stuff from an eye that you can't see and I was really afraid that I was going to find out. Fortunately, whatever was in there worked it's way out overnight. My eye was pretty crusty this morning and is still sore, but at least I can see without pain. Yay!

My Dad was moved to another facility and we went yesterday to visit (driving while it's snowing is *not* fun when one of your eyeballs isn't working!). He is not a happy camper. I feel horrible that he can't be home, but there is no way he can come home until he is well. He really needs to concentrate on getting better and not being miserable because he's not home. I wish so much that I could make everything better.

Well, back to work on the house. With my safety goggles on.